Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Oh my god in heaven.

So every time I say something about how Alice Waters is a wee bit smug or how green markets, while awesome, are not practical for everyone, or how occasionally food writing/blogging/obsessing is tiresome, some rabid foodie or other tries to tear me a new asshole, and I feel bad for awhile.

And then I read something like this, and I am reminded that Yes, I am fighting on the side of the angels.

(Sorry - you may have to pay or some shit if you're not a NYT subscriber. If so - Dining Section today, below the fold. "Dinner at the Foodies'", it's called. HORRID stuff.)

13 Comments:

I'm not an expert on the local food movement, and may be missing something important. But I take it as a given that most locales cannot grow the amount and variety of food necessary to feed the vast majority of the population, especially under organic requirements.

I see this analogy: three people needing automobiles go to the only available dealership, which has a new hybrid, a slightly used minivan, and a 1965 Dodge with a leaky oil gasket. The wealthiest of the three outbids the others for the hybrid. But the hybrid owner isn't really helping the environment: all three cars will still be driven. What the hybrid owner has really paid for is feeling good about himself. In some people, this feeling will become smugness.

Oh screw people like that. *psh* if you come to my place, you'll eat what i serve. i work in social work. a full timne job, a part time job, and soon full time student too. Sorry, but no time for all that crap. I cook when I can and what I can.

but, now that i'm thinking about it, i live in park slope. I eat vegetables from the greenmarket (when they don't rot in fridge because i work too much). i love going all out for dinner parties. i wish i could "spend whole days going to farmers’ markets, cheese shops and specialty stores." well, at least i'm not stupid enough to invite a new york times reporter over to dinner.

it's kind of pathetic that they're using food as a status symbol, when they should be using handbags, like normal people.

A detailed catalogue of every morsel of food served at a party?... Gee, sounds like a great party. Reminds me of college when friends would report their alcohol intake down to the ounce, as though four shots and four beers is some sort of formula for fun...

Having lived "on both sides now," I'm with you. BE THAT AS IT MAY, Alice Waters' recipe for potatoes and (Boggy Creek) sorrel is one of the best things I've cooked in a long time, and the panna cotta dessert at Fino's--in riesling soup with slivers of green apple and sorrel, topped with green apple granita--is one of the best things I've eaten at a restaurant--here or in France. Let's go to Hut's when you're in town again....

Those people are idiots. How can someone go through life being THAT pretentious?

I mean, I'm a culinary student; I love food, and some days I make my own cheese. But some days I eat frozen pizza while standing by the stove. And I'm not ashamed.

But, about farmer's markets- a lot of them accept food stamps and WIC now. Even some CSA's do. They're trying to be more accessible. And I believe that more small, locally- owned farms are what we need. Keep the money in the community, and out of corporate hands.

They aren't interested in food per se, they are interested in shopping.

I always get confused as to how buying local is better for the environment when they've gone to 7 different stores as much as an hour away to purchase said items.

The last dinner party I had consisted of homeade guacamole (the tomatoes and jalapenos were grown by me), burgers grilled outside served on Mrs. Baird's buns (now a subsidiary of Bimbo in Mexico) with Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar melted on top, and strawberry shortcake (James Beard's cream biscuits with a bit of sugar added) with ice cream instead of whipped cream and Driscoll's strawberries (2 for $4 at SuperTarget).

All plates were cleaned. *That's* the sign of a successful dinner party.

I have, tragically, been around people like this and I will never get those wasted hours back. I did, however, walk away from those experiences (not only forever, but) with a piece of wisdom.

Their obsession has absolutely NOTHING to do with food. Nothing whatsoever. It has everything to do with being an insecure, obsessive-compulsive douche who cannot live with him (or her) self unless he or she can prove to everyone they know (and a few strangers) what a smart/hip/cutting edge/well-read food snob he or she is. Oh, and by the way, smarter and more knowledgeable about everything else too.

I mean, not to be a dick about it, but Mr. Food Schmuck in the article is a teacher ar Berkeley College? Methinks Mr. Food Schmuck is using food to paper over some serious holes in his insecurities about his laughable career.

I didn't know anything of your project and just stumbled across your book at a bookstore the other day and thought the premise of the experiment sounded pretty interesting...I finished the book last night and I absolutely love it! I was impressed by your determination to keep going no matter what and your way of telling the story had me laughing out loud a lot! And I appreciate your healthy use of F*** to garnish every good anecdote.